In March 2019, President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of the Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation with Foreign States and Kremlin’s website transcript pointed to the geographic reach of military-technical cooperation as constantly expanding, with the number of partners already in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Russia's Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, acknowledged at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) that Russia stands on the "brink of recession".

"If we try to establish a ceasefire without building up our future defenses, the war will drag on for many more years," former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.

Russia's military-driven budget is under increasing strain as falling energy revenues, rising war costs, and economic isolation converge, raising serious questions about the sustainability of its war economy.

The 2022 invasion came as a shock to many of Russia’s neighbors in eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia, confirming their fears that Russia remained a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their countries.

The flow of goods in Manzhouli, China’s main border crossing with Russia, underscores increasingly close ties between the two countries, complicating China’s relationship with Europe.

Britain exposes Russian espionage linked to GRU operations and imposes sanctions on key officers in a move to counter hostile state activity.

While Russia’s Central Bank celebrates a drop in inflation, its economy is showing severe signs of distress. -Crushing 20% interest rates have stalled growth, leading to a surge in bad loans and pushing the banking sector toward a potential crisis.

The Russian rouble's 45% rise against the U.S. dollar since the start of the year has made it one of the world's best performing currencies - but the sharp appreciation is proving to be a double-edged sword for the heavily sanctioned Russian economy.